How Russia wangled Israel into phony Gaza “ceasefire,” and acceptance of Iranian/Hizballah in the north

Israel came out of its “wide-scale” operation against Hamas terror on Friday night, July 20, leaving Hamas holding the initiative for the next round of violence. The IDF operation was almost as phony as the Gaza “ceasefire.” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gady Eisenkott staged a ritual by now all too familiar: The flames of war were quenched in Gaza and on the northern front by a two-prong military-cum-diplomatic intervention without Israel conducting a large-scale military operation. A day earlier, Lieberman admitted that Israel’s deterrent strength had been seriously eroded by Hamas getting away with more than three months of aggression. He held the government responsible.

On Friday afternoon, Netanyahu talked by phone to President Vladimir Putin. The subject of their conversation was not revealed. However, the prime minister’s office issued a statement affirming that he would continue to act against the establishment of an Iranian presence in Syria.

Lieberman was meanwhile on the phone to his Russian counterpart, Gen. Sergei Shoigu, following which Ambassador Alexander Shein in Tel Aviv announced that he was confirming as authentic the reports of an Russian-Israel accord to ensure the withdrawal of Iranian and Hizballah forces from Israel’s border.

After that verbal round came a spate of Russian backtracks. Ambassador to Baghdad Maksim Maksimov stated that Iranian forces would not quit Syria because, like the Russian army, they were there legitimately at the invitation of the Damascus government. He stressed that so long as Russian troops remained in Syria, so too would Iranian forces. Russian ambassador to Damascus Alexander Kimshchank came forward on Thursday to assert: “There are no pro-Iranian armed units in the south of Syria,” adding, “This issue has already been settled.”

Russia diplomats caught in a web of self-contradiction are less of a problem than the arrival of Hizballah and Shiite militias under the command of Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers to points just 2-3km from Israel’s Golan border. Their presence catches the Netanyahu government in contradiction of its frequent vows to prevent any Iranian or pro-Iranian forces from getting established in Syria, least of all on Israel’s border.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that because Tehran has escaped scot-free in Syria, Israel found its hands tied on the Gaza front against Hamas. On Friday, Netanyahu and Lieberman decided to accept Putin’s guarantees to keep Iranian forces at a distance from Israel’s borders – despite his repeated default on former guarantees. But no more than five hours elapsed before Hamas turned the Gaza flame high with a deadly cross-border attack on Israel border forces. For the first time in more than three months of explosive balloon and flaming kite attacks and violent border assaults, Hamas surprised Israel by deploying trained marksmen against Israeli troops and killing one soldier. The furious IDF tank and air force reprisal on 8 Hamas outposts killed 4 Palestinians and injured more than 100.
While getting set for the next round of a wide-ranging IDF counter-terror offensive in Gaza, the diplomatic wheels began turning. Egyptian General Intelligence Director Gen. Kemal Abbas and the UN Middle East envoy, Nikolai Maldanov were enlisted to the effort.

The Israeli public were told (a) that Israel fighter jets had conducted three large-scale sorties against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip Friday evening, as the prologue for a major ground operation, and (b) that Israel had asked Egypt to broker a ceasefire.

In fact, the Israeli jets dropped no more than 6 missiles on each Hamas command center attacked. Although they were said to have been flattened, they were damaged but remained standing.
After a quiet night on the Gaza front, Hamas offered Israel a dose of reality. On Saturday morning the terrorist group’s spokesmen commented that the ceasefire was very fragile and liable to break down at any moment. Furthermore, in none of the negotiations were the balloon-cum-kite offensive or the Palestinian border riots addressed and would therefore continue. Hamas had achieved exactly what it sought: the freedom to carry on as before, call the shots on when to goad the IDF into reprisals and to calibrate the level of escalation centering on the Gaza Strip.
After witnessing Israel’s handling of security threats on those two fronts, Hamas, Iran and Hizballah will feel free to continue to erode the IDF’s deterrence and self-confidence, while landing a fresh blow or setback on Israel’s head whenever they choose. Netanyahu-Putin phone calls will not change this skewed symmetry.

42 thoughts on “How Russia wangled Israel into phony Gaza “ceasefire,” and acceptance of Iranian/Hizballah in the north”

Yes, the “IDF’s deterrence and self-confidence” is being eroded but the Terrorstinians are now irrelevant and one day soon nobody will care when they are sent packing to Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan and Libya and Jordan and Egypt to help re-build countries constantly being destroyed because of genocide carried out by the Islamic brothers and sisters of the Terrorstinians.

What Israel must do if it does not want to defend itself with a huge military operation is at least embargo Gaza and make it much less appealing to not be there than to be there.It must engage in a war of attrition that the Terrorstinians will soon lose.

I am only for the above strategy in absence of a real massive operation which would bring a quick end with a strong military intervention but it seems that Israel will not or cannot for reasons which are not clear to me,

Directly destroy the poisonous Gaza leadership as soon as possible and this war falls apart for them. The same can be said of Iran as well. What is wrong with our leaders? Don’t they remember that the previous Gaza war went on for two months non-stop until the Hamas leaders were targeted. Then after feeling that their lives were in danger, they stopped and wanted a ceasefire.

Debka’s own reporting and challenging has been proven correct to surmise what is happening throughout the Middle East……….Once again, until the Roots of Gaza Attacks, Miscalculations, and Escalations of Iran and Hamas are removed there cannot be be a Peaceful Resolution of a two State Solution between Israelis and Palestinians becoming Good Neighbors for the Future of the Middle East.

Israel gave up Strategic Territory by unilaterally withdrawing all Jewish Communities from Gaza over 13 years ago and leaving Gaza to the Palestinians. Instead of making Gaza a Palestinian Tourism Mecca with Billions of Aid from UN, Middle East, and Worldwide. The Palestinians chose taking Iran’s Millions so Hamas can Lead and Use Gaza to attack the Jewish State.

Instead of building and educating showing the World how Palestinians can become an Enlighten Self-Governing Entity for the benefit of its People they chose Two Wars with 13 Years of Terrorist Repetitions attacks against Israel. Israel remains patient every time at first until Hamas Palestinians end up crossing the Lines of Decency of destroying and injuring Israeli Civilians, Communities, Agriculture and Preserves. The IDF remains resolute to respond anytime even after losing Defenders from Hamas Rocket made in Pockets of Gaza along with Billions being wasted on Weapon Building, Tunneling, Kite, Tires, and Balloon Burning Fires. Instead of building Apartments, Businesses, Schools, and Hotels that Educate and Employ every Palestinians in Gaza.

This was done exactly weeks before the Trump-Putin Summit on Orders from Iran Military and presence in Syria proving Iran enjoys funding Palestinian Terrorist Proxies in Gaza, Yemen, Iraq, making sure there will be No Middle East Peace. These were not coincidences of discontent but well planned rocket attacks and are directly Iran’s Hamas, and Hezbollah Shiia connected to do Iran Bidding fro only Iran. So long as Iranian Robes Regime Rule and Hamas exists there can be no Peace in between Israel-Palestinians, nor in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

The Hamas Servants, Puppeteers, and Pawns prefer being duped making Palestinians, Iraqis, Yemenese, and Syrians Victims of Iran’s Robes Regime. The One Sole problem is and always has been Iran since 1979 and not just fro Israel, but the entire Middle East, Asia, and the World.

It is time to cause Havoc within Iran’s Borders and make them the Victims instead of the entire Middle East!

If Israel doesn’t do something and also get U.S. help on this, the two fronts of Syria and Gaza will be turning into four fronts with the addition of Lebanon and the West Bank or even five with Jordan added.
The fact that Netanbibi and Liberman both trust Putin and the Russians is a big mistake and problem because this stands in the way of Israel looking after its own interests first. With regards to Gaza, Hamas will not stop until its leadership is directly threatened and killed. It is that simple. Gaza is flaring up because Iran needs a second front besides Syria. It also has the Lebanese Hezbollah front as a reserved third front. Iran is looking for a West Bank front too and perhaps plans one through Jordan since they would stir the Palestinians there in Jordan and Israel to be on their side as well. Eventually against Saudi Arabia, Iran will use a Yemen-Iraq-Jordan front. It is too bad that the rebels in southern Syria have been sold out since they were the best defense against Assad-Hezbollah-Iran. Note how Russia is doing both the diplomatic deceptions against opponents and the heavy air hitting for Assad-Hezbollah-Iran against the rebels. The opponents of the Assad(Syria)-Hezbollah(Lebanon)-IRGC(Iran)-PMU(Iraq)-Russia have been very gullible, disunited and unorganized in dealing with them. WAKE UP AND I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE 2015 THAT FROM THE MOMENT THE OBAMA-IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL WAS CONCLUDED AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WERE RELEASED TO IRAN, IRAN RUN TO RUSSIA FOR HIRED HELP SO THAT IRAN PAYS RUSSIA FOR ITS HELP IN SYRIA. IRAN PAYS RUSSIA MONEY AND BIBI ONLY HAS WORDS TO OFFER PUTIN. WHO HAS MORE SWAY WITH RUSSIA?

This Israeli and Egyptian militaries both face the same problem of enemies which hide behind civilian population. That probably a majority of the civilians want nothing more than to live in peace with one another makes the situation harder. Criticize the Israeli and Egyptian governments for their actions in Gaza or the Sinai but the fact is to destroy their enemies they have to destroy huge areas of civilian population. The only resolution is that Egypt and Israel must work together to quickly and humanely remove the civilian population who do not want to fight. Once removed both countries are free to destroy the terrorist forces. There are about 2 million people in the Gaza Strip so this will not be an easy task, but we are reaching the point where the military effectiveness against the terrorists hiding behind the civilian population is zero.

Disagree with your assessment though I respect your trying to take the high road. However, I believe virtually every Gazan actively supports terror. Who attends funerals of dead gazan terrorists by the thousands? Those who identify and support the causes for which Achmed the dead terrorist died. These people are supporters and abettors if not active daytime terrorists, and they need to be killed – all of them, the men, the women, the hate-filled children, their sheep, their dogs, their houses destroyed and all their possessions burned. They are the Amalekites of Our Time.

I have to stop reading news – I’m getting sick ….
I’ve lost trust in Bibi – he’s smart but he lacks the courage to do what has to be done…
Bibi brought Israel into this very dangerous situation with 1) iran/Hezbnollah sitting on Israels northern border aiming at Israel with 150’000 (!) missiles 2)iran/heubollah/russia sitting on Israels eastern border 3) Hamass/iran sitting in gaza/being supplied
daily with all they need incl. el.power from Israel.

This is insane and its Bibi who allowed all of
this to happen – the rest of Israel watching

Hit them where it hurts their leadership
Night raids on their banks
Police stations
Prisons
All civil admin buildings
Destroy roadways
Bus depots
Motor vehicle depots
Cell towers
Electrical stations
Erase their infrastructure, not just Hamas buildings
This move would rock their world
And involve relatively few if no deaths
But it would really piss off their populace against their government, which could not provide services

This is exactly what Assad and the Russians have been doing in Syria. This is exactly what the Russians did in Chechnya. They no longer have the problems that they had there before. They also installed a puppet government to do their dirty work there. Countries should not tolerate terrorist entities. Look at how Sri Lanka got rid of their terrorist threat. Hamas Islamic Jihad must be removed from Gaza or their connections to Iran and Hezbollah must be cut out entirely.

you cannot do that ;there are many people that lived with Israelis like Israelis; Too bad there is nothing in there to live on , but still gasa was rebuilt , and its nice place . Just find a way for them to live as they want , not to be ruled by everyone .

Sorry Israel, your leaders like Bibi and Liberman have been blinded by Putin’s (Russia’s) continuous deceptions. Now you are dealing with two hostile fronts (Gaza and Syria) to which can be added two more hostile fronts (Lebanon and West Bank) at any time. Also, there is a possibility of two more hostile fronts (Jordan and Sinai) if these are taken over. This is no time to be trusting Putin for anything since Putin figures that the oil on the Golan is more than enough to cover all expenses relating to rebuilding and restoring Syria.

You sure give Putin a awful lot of credit he must be the smartest man on the planet ever! the way you guys talk about him and how much you guys mention him is unreal! It seems to me he is the only one to be trusted calm rational reasonable no? It seems to that you a Israeli side need to learn the art of “give and take” look into to it!!!!!!

Ceasefire nr .. ? Thanks to a failing leadership of Netanyahu / Lieberman.This won”t solve the problem in the South.This needs a bigger operation but i guess they have not the guts to do so.Talking to Putin ( who got Trump also in his pocket ) is nice but is worthless.We have now the Iranians and Hezzies on the front door in the North / Golan.So let us relax and wait what will happen , thanks to our leaders for not acting ( except the airstrikes in Syria, kudos for that ).

1. Could you do a better continued job. (Better than Bibi?)
2. Would you simply endorse the use of more violence if needed?
3. Would you consider diplomacy? And with whom?
4. Has anyone considered the repercussions worldwide from pro Palestinian supporters. (Something which cannot be simply ignored).
5. What would YOU do that is better than what is currently on the table?
6. What is your vision? – (This is critical for all leaders).
7. Is there anything at all positive that could even be understood from organisations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and a country such as Iran? That might even be accidently work in Israel’s favour?
8. Consider….

^Too much ”Bibi” Wibi, not enough dead Palestinians’…they became blind and they blinded’^

‘I will visit evil upon the earth, and upon the wicked their iniquity; and I will cut off the pride of the presumptuous, and the arrogance of the tyrants I will humble.’

‘And the multitude of foreigners shall be like fine dust, and the multitudes of tyrants like passing chaff, and it shall be a sudden happening.’

‘And those who suffered shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the impoverished people shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.’

‘For the tyrants have ended and the scornful have been destroyed, and all those eager to commit violence shall be cut off.’

‘And shall be like a dream, a vision of [the] night, the multitude of all the nations assembled upon Ariel, and all those stationed around her and those who trap her, and those who besiege her.

And it shall be, as the hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats, and he shall awaken, and his appetite is unsated, and as the thirsty man dreams, and behold he drinks, and he shall awaken and behold he is faint, and his soul yearns, so shall be the multitude of all the nations gathered on Mount Zion.

Stop and wonder; they became blind and they blinded. They were intoxicated but not from wine; they reeled but not from strong wine.

Catholics believe in a place called Purgatory whereby the soul is neither in heaven nor in hell. A state of suffering until the soul goes to Heaven. Israel’s Jews are experiencing this state on earth, and the situation keeps getting dimmer. The past events showed that Bibi’s government is reacting and not in control. Hamas decides when to launch, escalate, or change engagement methods. Hizballah are 1000 times smarter than the baboons in Gaza. I would be concerned, and all that talk about supremacy and over confidence would go out the window if they figure out a way to sting you hard. And they can!! They proved it tacticaly in the past, even if the general outcome was in Israel’s favor. True in 06 IAF destroyed south Beirut and southern Lebanon. But Hizballah scored serious blows to the IDF. Don’t under estimate their smarts. And if the idiots in Gaza are giving heart burn, Hizballah and Iran will inflict pain on you. No more politics, no more play, this is not a chess game. Bibi has been sitting on that toilet way too long, either crap or get off the bowl!!

COWARDS and indecisive, impotent hypocrites: that is today’s Israeli “leadership.”
As a result: the sick, puny hamas “tail” continues wagging the huge, powerful IDF “dog”, inflicting serious
moral and deterrence issues – in the eyes of the ayatollahs and other assorted enemies of the Jewish state !

The political dance taking place between Russia, Israel and the US seems to be getting abused by those that don’t trust Moscow the most. That would be the old men in Tehran. If Israel is going to continue to paint a picture that Putin is calling the shots in not only Syria, but in the region, then the anger in Tehran will only grow. The more Putin says, “ I will control Tehran,” and then in the public say, “Iran is not a problem”, then the worse things are going to get. I said this last night and I will say it again. The Sniper event was a game changer. The link between Hamas and who the trainers were is clear.

This “dance” is growing more dangerous by the day and it may very well be the US that shows Russia the fate of Iran doesn’t rest in Moscow.

When will Israel finally realize that RUSSIA controls every move that Iran makes. Iran is a strategic Russian proxy and has been under Russia’s command and control since the Ayatollah took over in 1979. Iran immediately became the linchpin in Russia’s Middle-East war strategy after the 1967 and 1973 defeats. Stalin called Russia-allied attack-dog nations such as Iran his “ice-breakers.”

Embargo and attrition if no will for all-out invasion. “…two fronts of Syria and Gaza will be turning into four fronts with the addition of Lebanon and the West Bank or even five with Jordan added.” If your right, Israel after the war, not merely a large operation as you call for, which will be impossible according to Middle East standards, will gain About 40 miles into Jordan, Syria up to the Euphrates River, then southwest until one reaches the Orontes River (South Fork) in Lebanon, west until the Mediterranean Sea. Only Gaza will remain as a pacified part of Israel.

It is time for Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gady Eisenkott to go. They do not think strategically and have no idea what is going on. They worry more about what the Europeans think so they do not stop buying Israeli goods. The money comes first.

What do you think the Donald said to Vlad in that one-on -one in Helsinki? Vlad, you want to keep Crimea? Fine, but we will arm Ukraine , Poland , Hungary & the Baltic’s and send in military advisors, so if you move on them you take us on. You want to sell LNG to the EU, if you do t tell Iran to cease & desist in Syria, Yemen &Gaza we will be selling our LNG to the Euro weanies if Merkel likes it or not. Cutting off your major source of revenue. By the way I don’t give a #@$ about your GRU messing with the losers at the DNC but we have cyber teams that can F up your operations so be advised.
I think we are going to get along well , we have an opportunity to partner up to send all of these Islamic terrorist dirtbags to paradise. By the way, let’s place nice in the press conference to keep these press morons guessing what’s going on.

I hope the IDF and the Government inept handling of both the Gaza and the Syrian front will be remembered come next election by the Israeli Nationalist voters. It’s time to choose a true pro-Israel nationalist government!!!

Has been said before: The Israeli military “leadership” ha degenerated into an
Impotent, Cowardly and Hypocritical group of “pretend doers” and “polite bombers” of empty buildings
in Gaza. They have become a laughing stock for the bunch of suicidal two-legged hamas rats – and the
Ayatollahs are taking note…

Putin and Russia are looking more like Nazi supporters by the day. They are supporting Nazi Iran that has vowed to committ genocide against Israel. Everyone says Putin was raised by Jewish family and is thus kind to Jews? If being kind to Jews and Israel includes helping Iran to build nuclear portable missiles to be used against Israel for portable Nuclear Holocaust. By Putin and Russians actions towards Israel which consists of mostly Survivors of the Holocaust, Survivors from Russian and Ukranian, and European Pogroms, Spanish Inquisitin etc it is about time Jews become courageous and destroy our enemies. Evil Russia may be strong as a Bear but they are as cruel and murderous as a Nazi without any kindness or love for other their own kind or own children. About the
Whoever takes a step on Israels borders with Nazi Iran and Nazi Butcher Assad should be annihilated from the face of the earth. There is no difference between Russia and Iran they are both proud murderers who are about to get what they deserve for their murdering of the Holy Nation Of Israel. We will bury their bodies for 7 years at least they were righteous enough to deserve burial in Eretz Yisrael. Soon those that murdered others so too their mothers will start to cry because their sons who made mothers childless will now become childless as well!

Why doesn’t Hamas co-ordinate with Iran and push for joint offensive against the forces of occupation in Palestine? Hamas should first bait the IDF by sending balloons and then when IDF is trapped in Gaza with no escape and no way forward, Syrian forces (without Iran) should launch an all out front on the Northern Borders of Israel. This will also give an opportunity for rulers of Jordan to launch a front to take over Jerusalem.

Not to worry. There is Judgment and there is a Judge – The King and Creator of the world, HKB”H

The Holy One, Blessed be He, reveals all those who are famous in the Holy Land of Israel and also outside the borders of Israel. He discovers bribery, lechery and abomination, theft and deception, because the Creator of the world refines and purifies the world.

G’d will continue to reveal in public famous public figures in whom the people believe. The briber and bribe takers, the corrupt, cheats who con the Jewish electorate, all will be revealed in the media to be seen. The white collar and black collar, and the private people, G’d will settle the score with them quietly.

All the people taking or giving bribes, the thieves, the scammers, the crooks, all those who desecrate the name of Hashem who steal and cheat, Lewd and dirty people – are all revealed, from the greatest religious to the non-religious.

The crux of of the matter is whether or not Israel wants to or does not want to solve problems on its borders.
If Israel wants to kick the can down the street, hoping that a solution will come from some other quarter, then it should continue on its current failed plans.
Do you or do you not want to stop violence on the Gaza border?
Wasting time and money bombing a few empty buildings in Gaza is not a solution.
It is at best lip service if not a source of outright government lying to a gullible public.

The solution lies in high Gazan body counts.
Anything other than high to very high Gazan body counts is nothing other than lip service.
This was the effective change that Ariel Sharon brought in his cross border raids prior to 1967.
When Sharon blew up enemy buildings he made sure that they were full of enemies.
It was an effective change in strategy that Moshe Dayan, his superior, was unable to do.
When Dayan would question Sharon’s very effective deterrent strategy, Sharon would repeatedly answer: “If you do not want the job done properly, do not delegate me to carry out the task.”